JPMorgan Chase ordered all employees back to the office five days a week. Since then, frustration has grown. With little official communication, workers have turned to private Signal chats and Reddit to share concerns and speculate on enforcement.
Employees Rely on Private Chats for Updates
A Business Insider report revealed that these chat groups act as informal “support groups.” One employee with eight years at JPMorgan described an “extremely active” chat with over 100 messages daily. Workers discuss policy changes, express frustration, and share updates.
“There’s a depressingly small amount of official information within JPMC,” the employee said. “We have to go find the information, it is not being broadcast.”
Discussions intensified after JPMorgan removed an internal webpage flooded with complaints about the RTO policy. The Wall Street Journal first reported this in January.
Leaked Document Raises Concerns
A six-page document, allegedly from JPMorgan, surfaced in a chat group. It outlined stricter penalties for RTO violations, including fewer warnings before termination.
Business Insider reviewed the document but couldn’t confirm its authenticity. A JPMorgan spokesperson declined to verify it but stated, “If employees are not meeting the expectations, there will be ramifications — just like any other performance issue.”
Workers Fear Excessive Monitoring
Employees worry about how the bank tracks attendance and productivity. Some fear tracking systems may log inaccurate hours. Others see the monitoring as excessive.
“[We thought the] babysitting was ending,” a JPMorgan tech VP told Business Insider sarcastically.
Employees Criticize CEO Jamie Dimon
On Reddit, many employees slammed CEO Jamie Dimon for his strict stance. Some believe mass refusal to comply won’t lead to layoffs, especially given JPMorgan’s record profits during remote work.
“It’s a matter of organizing. A widespread refusal to RTO 5 days a week is not going to result in layoffs from a company that was setting record profits during WFH,” one comment read.
Another employee speculated, “They’re hoping people leave because that looks better than layoffs.”
JPMorgan’s strict office return has triggered backlash. Employees want clarity and feel the bank is tightening control.
